Indian Veg Bhelpoori House

A little miracle of a place started in 1986 by reformed Bangladeshi-born accountant Mohammed Safa, who was looking to get out of his profession and had read that vegetarian food was becoming trendy. This is a no-frills but warm spot with walls smothered in ever changing aphorisms, wise words and pedantries regarding healthy eating and being. The basic but often yummy all-you-can-eat buffet offers three types of rice, two vegetable curries (one for carbs, the other for protein) and a paneer-based dish. Plus plenty of nibbles, salads and sauces. Safa practically runs it as a charity even though it's not as cheap-cheap as it once was...but what is? In 2022, owing to the world's tricky situation, the buffet has 'skyrocketed' to £9.95, which is £4 more than in 2014 (£5.95), which itself was a mere £3 higher than the original asking price in 1986. And he dishes out his food to the local homeless on a regular basis. No alcohol available here, but you can bring your own. Tube station: Angel, then a walk along the buzzy, colourful and local-feeling Chapel Market (fruit + veg, cheap goods, specialist foods etc) until you nearly reach Penton St at the other end. An antidote to the trendier restaurants in Upper St.